The Sacred War! tyronec (Axis) vs ToxicThug11 (Soviet)

[ToxicThug11]

Hello everyone

I have started a new game with tyronec.

I have agreed to his house rules:

No temporary motorisation.
No para drops.
No Amphib invasions.
Maximum of 5 Airborne Divisions for the Soviets.
No massed small mission GA/NP ADs.

This should be fun.

First turn is impressive, "super Lvov" from WITE1 days.

Huge losses for the VVS, 6000 Soviet aircraft destroyed and good progress made towards Vitebsk, Pskov, Tallinn and presumably Proskurov-Vinnitsa. Our finest mountaineers and tanks are encircled and will be destroyed next turn...

However we do score some sweet victories turn 1. One security regiment is wiped out, and we fight countless battles from within the encirclements to attempt to damage a few Panzers and fatigue them.

The results are sometimes excellent, in one battle we managed to damage five panzers, in other battles we end up inflicting almost no casualties. Stalin orders more counteroffensives to take place next week!

The Great Patriotic War begins
https://youtu.be/viUnzgXPrDg

[Killmaster851]

Hypeeee!

[tm1]

Should be interesting.

Lets see if you can surprise the Axis like you have in your other game

[ToxicThug11]

Lets see if you can surprise the Axis like you have in your other game

I gotta admit that tyronec's opener is the best I've ever seen. My Southwestern Front is rendered mostly destroyed and it sets him up for a very strong push towards Kharkov later on.

The fascists have arrived outside Smolensk and are given a spanking. Two routed panzer regiments and over a hundred Axis AFVs destroyed / damaged.

We take positions and begin to entrench near Smolensk with heavy concentrations of artillery, naval battalions and airborne brigade support. The goal is to hold Smolensk till atleast turn 4 or 5.

Screenshot_6.png (4.37 MiB) Viewed 2005 times

Screenshot_5.png (4.38 MiB) Viewed 2005 times

unknown (14).png (5.08 MiB) Viewed 2005 times

Mogilev is unencircled temporarily and will prove a thorn in his side.

[ToxicThug11]

The Southern Front is pretty scattered due to heavy fighting. I dont think he will get to Odessa so soon so I man it with a security detachment. We actually manage to break an encirclement, but so far, regret attempting to hold Transnistria.

100k+ are defacto surrounded. I decide to attack the panzers from within the pocket to tire them out and atleast damage a few panzers, which is successful.

The Southern Front however is going to be pitifully manned after this encirclement is completed.

[tyronec]

AGN. Take Parnu and push up to the coast near Tallinn.
Pskov is assaulted but there are not enough motorised units to risk pushing too far further north.

T03N.jpg (66.22 KiB) Viewed 1963 times

AGC. Smolensk has a CV of well over 100 so instead of assaulting push past to the North. Pocket it just for the sake of disrupting things for the Soviets.
Have pocketed a few units around Mogilev, will hopefully make them pay for the counter attacks last turn instead of running away.

T03C.jpg (121.64 KiB) Viewed 1963 times

T03C1.jpg (89.23 KiB) Viewed 1963 times

AGS. Just a few airborne units defending the road to Kiev so rout them away. There seem to be few Soviets in the area so risk leaving my lead units fairly exposed.
Pocket some units north of Kishinev and loosely pocket a few more. Again there don’t seem to be many Soviets on the area so my lead units are fairly exposed.
Odessa was not garrisoned so is assaulted.

T03S1.jpg (91.68 KiB) Viewed 1963 times

[tyronec]

All the T1 pockets eliminated.
Have lost over 200 AFVs this turn but quite acceptable as the Soviets have lost huge numbers to combat too as well as the pockets.

T03S2.jpg (167.1 KiB) Viewed 1959 times

T03S3.jpg (80.68 KiB) Viewed 1959 times

T03Air.jpg (60.03 KiB) Viewed 1959 times

T03Ground.jpg (37.51 KiB) Viewed 1959 times

[tm1]

Odessa not garrisoned !!, something a fishy happening along the Black Sea, is there a trap being set or are the Soviets shattered in the South.

[ToxicThug11]

Counteroffensives continue at Smolensk where we sustain heavy AFV losses and our air force is shot down in great numbers.

So far, nearly thousand panzers have been destroyed. In exchange we have lost 11,000 AFVs. Routs cause huge vehicle losses.

[ToxicThug11]

Soviet ability to bully German tanks is insane. The Germans have 2,200 remaining undamaged AFVs.
Leningrad is holding steady due to rain. The Southwestern Front, because of tyronec's superb encirclements and well planned thrusts forward, is feeling rather unsafe.

Total Soviet losses: 1.3 mil

Fighting is extremely intense. Losses for both sides are quite high. Kherson is captured and the gateway to Crimea open.
The center feels somewhat stable, but for how long? Most AFVs are wrecked outside of Smolensk. The danger of an Axis offensive towards Moscow is still ever looming.

[ToxicThug11]

I believe the path towards Rzhev is secure from any northern thrusts. Our tank reserve have been railed to the Moscow direction to attempt to respond to renewed German offensives.

Current air losses are huge. 10,602 Soviet planes of all types in exchange for 797 Axis planes. Props to tyronec for this.

Marshal Grigory Kulik has been put in charge of the Western Front and bravely commands the last Soviet tank division in the Bialystok pocket.

[Veterin]

Been a while since the last update. Is this game still running?

[ToxicThug11]

Been a while since the last update. Is this game still running?

Yes!

Been spending time with my family.

Turn 8:

Alot has happened in recent turns. Constant back and forths at Smolensk, counteroffensives against panzers, routs and destructions of Soviet units.

My opponent has done masterful offensives in the center, each time breaking the frontline apart and forcing reserves to be sent to plug the gaps. Axis intentions are clear, the capture of Rzhev & Vyazma.

Axis offensive towards Rzhev.png (2.16 MiB) Viewed 1643 times

Our reserves are ready to throw back the enemy here.

Plans for limited counteroffensives:

Counteroffensive plan.png (1.71 MiB) Viewed 1643 times

First attack.

Battle nearby Vyazma.png (724.17 KiB) Viewed 1643 times

39 destroyed panzers, 28 damaged out of 158. 29 guns destroyed, 14 damaged out of 200. Overall, that Panzer Division has lost a large amount of combat effectiveness.

Counteroffensive towards Smolensk.png (885.5 KiB) Viewed 1643 times

60 guns destroyed, 13 damaged. Take a look at the concentration of forces here. Nearly 20% of the Axis guns are destroyed.

[Beethoven1]

Axis offensive towards Rzhev.png

I notice quite a few of the Axis attacks in that screenshot seem to have 2 battles. Was that from hasties that initially failed, or what?

[Beethoven1]

Is the game still progressing? It would also be interesting to see any screenshots and thoughts from the German perspective at some point if tyronec has been keeping any.